Hey everyone! I'm hoping that this will be the place that I find my anwer...I'm new here and hadn't realized that sitcomsonline.com had message boards even though I always come here to read the DVD reviews...silly me!

Let me give you a little background before I pose my question. In Sept. 2004 I began writing a weekly posting for a Bewitched message board about what episode of Bewitched (BW) aired 40 years ago beginning on 9/17 as a way to honor the 40th anniversary of the show. The following week, 9/24 also marked the 40th anniversary of The Munsters, a show which a lot of BW fans like, so I included it in my postings and I include what ties that show has to BW in terms of same actors, directors, writers and story lines for the episodes that aired the same night.

This week I became aware that the Charlie Brown Christmas special aired the same night as BW and the Munsters did 40 years ago on 12/9/65. And I noticed it was on CBS, the home of the Munsters.

My question is this: does anyone know at what time, 40 years ago, that the Charlie Brown special aired? Did it pre-empt The Munsters? Because according to the Munsters Book by Stephen Cox and the DVDs for the second season, Episode #51: "Underground Munster" aired that evening. But a friend who has a Dec 1965 TV Guide from the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Pa area says it shows "A Charlie Brown Christmas" aired at 7:30 p.m. on 12/9/65, pre-empting "The Munsters".

Sure hope one of you can help with a little clarification!

I am not sure the time but the "Don't Bug The Mosquitoes" episode aired 12/9/65 on CBS as well. During Gilligan's Island second season it was on at 8:00 (ET) if that helps any.

Here are the listings for WCBS-TV Channel 2 from 7:30PM - 8:00PM, December 2nd - 30th, from The New York Times television section.


December 02, 1965 - The Munsters - "Will Success Spoil Hunter?"
December 09, 1965 - "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
December 16, 1965 - The Munsters - "Underground"
December 23, 1965 - The Munsters - "Treasure of Mockingbird Heights"
December 30, 1965 - The Munsters - No Episode Title Given


There was also a picture of Linus and Snoopy in the December 9th, 1965 listing, with the following caption: Linus and Snoopy Appear in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Ch. 2, 7:30PM. Channel 2 was WCBS-TV in New York (and may still be for all I know).

Now, this does not PROVE that The Munsters was pre-empted. Television listings, after all, can easily be wrong. However, I also found CBS advertisement from [u]The New York Times[/i] (December 1st, 1965) that was listing all of the special programming CBS was airing during the month. Including was a Peanuts comic strip and a listing for Thursday, December 9th, saying "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was airing in color at 7:30PM.

And I also found an article from Decembere 15th, 1965 that mentioned the Peanuts Christmas special as "airing last week." So, that pretty much proves it, I would say.

Excellent find!! I think it does prove that The Munsters were pre-empted. I would say that "Underground Munster" was originally scheduled for that evening but then got pushed aside until the 16th because in the Munster Book there is no episode said to have aired on the 16th. And then, the 23rd it was "The Treasure" and on the 30th was "Herman's Peace Offensive".

Thank you so much for your help, tvobscurities!!!:wave: